The distance between a point on one wave and the corresponding point on the next cycle is called what?

The distance between a point on one wave and the corresponding point on the next cycle is called what?

• A. Amplitude
• B. Frequency
• C. Wavelength
• D. Trough

Answer: (C)

Wavelength is the distance over which a wave’s pattern repeats—from a given point on one cycle to the corresponding point on the next cycle. This can be measured from crest to crest or from trough to trough, and the two measurements are the same for a given wave. The relationship to other wave properties helps reinforce why this is the right term: wavelength equals the wave speed divided by frequency (lambda = v / f), or speed times the period (lambda = v × T). Amplitude describes how tall the wave is, not how long one cycle lasts. Frequency is how many cycles occur each second, not the spatial distance of one cycle. A trough is simply a lowest point on the wave, not a distance measurement.

Wavelength is the distance over which a wave’s pattern repeats—from a given point on one cycle to the corresponding point on the next cycle. This can be measured from crest to crest or from trough to trough, and the two measurements are the same for a given wave. The relationship to other wave properties helps reinforce why this is the right term: wavelength equals the wave speed divided by frequency (lambda = v / f), or speed times the period (lambda = v × T). Amplitude describes how tall the wave is, not how long one cycle lasts. Frequency is how many cycles occur each second, not the spatial distance of one cycle. A trough is simply a lowest point on the wave, not a distance measurement.